Middle School Softball, JV A Football Teams Undefeated

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Softball
Softball continued their undefeated streak with two big victories in late September, boosting their record to an impressive 4-0. In their 12-3 victory over Sacred Heart Prep, Regan Heslop, grade 7, had an excellent day on the mound, throwing 12 strikeouts. She also hit a home run. The offense was helped by Safia Kouja, grade 8; Jordan Thompson, grade 6; and Gillian Wallin, grade 8. The Eagles had a home game against Woodside Priory, winning 10-2. Marita Del Alto, grade 7, pitched a complete game and gave up only two runs. Regan contributed again on offense with another home run. Ankita Sharma and Tong Wu, both grade 7, also turned in hits while Alisa Wakita, grade 7, got on base three times and stole three bases.

Cross Country

The cross country team ran at their third meet of the season at John D. Morgan Park in late September. The race was the longest of the year at just over 1.5 miles. Corey Gonzales, grade 8, posted the fastest time and placed eighth. Gabi Gupta, grade 8, earned the team’s highest place, finishing seventh in her race. Rounding out the places were Mary Najibi, grade 7, finishing tenth, and grade 6 students Meilan Steimle and Stephanie Scaglia finishing at 13 and 14, respectively. For the first time this year, Harker placed as a team, taking fourth in the grade 6 girls race.

The team competed last week in their toughest race of the season at C.T. English. The course, while not the longest, is in the Santa Cruz Mountains and is the hilliest race of the year. This didn’t deter Alex Deller, grade 7, from continuing her tradition of excellence by taking third place. In the grade 8 races, Alyssa Amick finished sixth, Thomas Doyle, grade 8, took eighth and Gonzales placed 11th. Rounding out the Eagles’ top placers was Najibi, who finished 12th. Congratulations to all the runners and good luck in future races!

Football
Junior varsity A continues their undefeated streak, as well, compiling a 5-0 record to date. In late September, they showed solid defense with a 20-0 shutout over Woodside Priory. Last week the streak continued with big wins over Menlo and Valley Christian San Jose. The Menlo game was an offensive shootout, with both teams scoring over 25 points. The Eagles emerged victorious 33-26 and were led by Alex Yuan and Nick Bean, both grade 6. Nick Weisbloom, grade 6, also added impressive rushing. In their game against Valley Christian the Eagles showed that they don’t lack defensive skills, holding the Warriors to only 12 points. The Eagles, on the other hand, scored an impressive 33 points and soundly defeated their opponent. Sandip Nirmel, grade 6, returned an interception for a touchdown and Varun Baldwa, grade 6, had two sacks while putting intense pressure on the Warriors’ offense throughout the game.

Varsity A football posted two big wins in late September, bringing them to 2-2 in league play. The Eagles defeated Crystal Springs 40-27 in an important league away game. At home, the team beat a tough King’s Academy squad 19-12. The offense has been led by quarterback and running back Allan Huang, grade 8. He is supported by Erick Holt and Billy Bloomquest, both grade 8. Srivinay Irrinki, grade 8, has been solid on the line, providing critical support for the rest of the team. Last week, they posted a victory over league opponent Pinewood 35-13. In their second contest of the week the Eagles had an extremely close game with King’s Academy, which ended in a 12-12 tie.

Varsity B football is 3-1-1 after their league win over Menlo School in late September. The score was a nail-biting 9-7. The team’s defense has been key to their success this year, and played a huge part in both of their victories. Last week they posted a big win over league opponent Crystal Springs. Coach Manny Martinez attributed the 26-12 outcome to a solid defensive effort by the Eagles. The team also competed in the West Valley Middle School Tournament, where they went 2-1-1 and took an impressive second place. Their performance was due in large part to excellent play by the offensive line. Vishal Vaidya, grade 8, played especially well in this respect.

Swim
The combined lower and middle school swim had their first competition of the year at Castilleja in early September. The team did quite well, with 33 students earning medals. Jeremy Binkley, grade 8, took first in both the 50 freestyle and 200 freestyle races in his class. Seventh-graders Justin Su and Peter Wu won their 50 flystroke and 50 backstroke races, respectively. Justin Culpepper, grade 6, and Mason Menaker, grade 5, won separate 5/6th 25 freestyle races while Swetha Tummala, grade 6, took first in girls freestyle. Mason also won the boys 100 freestyle. In the 25 flystroke, Kayvon Solaimanpour, grade 6, took first while Kendall Ka, grade 6, and Swetha won their 25 backstroke races. Rounding out the Eagles’ top finishers were Eddie Shiang, grade 6, and Kai- Sang Ang, grade 6, who both won their 25-breaststroke races.

The Harker Magazine

About Harker

The Harker School is a private school in the Silicon Valley that has earned international recognition for its top academics, quality teachers and students' achievements. Founded in 1893, Harker is the largest independent preK-12 school in California, serving families of preschool, elementary, middle and high school-aged children on its four San Jose campuses.